ARB Simpson III Rooftop Tent Installation

With the ARB Simpson III Rooftop Tent in the driveway I first inspected the packing looking for any external shipping damage and found one corner of the box crushed. After photos of the corner I finished unpacking the tent  which I found to be double boxed with the outside box being heavy duty. Even with the external damage the packing protected the tent well and I found no problems.

ARB Simpson III Roftop Tent Boxed

With the tent unpacked I found the stainless steel mounting hardware in a small cloth bag and the rails inside the tent.

Ready to begin the install

Wanting to mount the tent on my M416 military trailer I spent an afternoon constructing a rack.  Following ARB’s instructions I cut the cross members down to allow them to be mounted across the rack. The original bolts were not long enough for my rack so a quick trip to the hardware store provided longer ones. Placing the tent on the rack took two people with one on each side. The rack was only about 4 feet off the ground so I can say that lifting the tent onto the roof off a lifted truck is going to be a chore.

Trailer rack ready for tent

The tent mounting system allows the tent to easily be centered on the rack. Some rack systems allow the tent to be mounted directly without the provided rails. With the tent set I tightened the rail mounts.

Tent cross member mounted to rack

Installing the ladder took only a few minutes.

Ladder brackets installed

I opened the tent and marked on the ladder where I needed additional holes for the adjustment stop. 

Ladder with my additional stop

After drilling the additional stop holes I opened the tent , lifted  the mattress, and finish tightening the tent mounting bolts.

Ladder Bracket bolts

The final part of the installation was to mount the tent cover on the tent platform. The design allows the cover to neatly slide into a groove on the hinge side of the platform.  Even though the installation does not call for it ,I am going to use two small sheet metal screws to keep the cover in place.

Tent closed showing Velcro straps

With the cover installed I proceeded to stow the tent,  ready to head out for a weekend excursion.

Tent closed and ready to go.

The installation instructions were clear and concise with quality hardware provided. Though I completed most of the installation by myself, a second person was needed to set the tent in place on the rack.

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tomas

Tomas has lived in Colorado since age 5. Having grown up on the Western Slope of Colorado lots of time was spent in the Desert Southwest. Tomas' father introduced him to the love of 4 wheeling at an early age in the high mountains around Aspen, Colorado. While an avid Mountain Biker, Tomas and his Family enjoy adventures in the mountains and desert in the remote locations that can only be reached by 4wd. Day hikes are always a must when on the family trips. While enjoying outdoor activities he wants to share his love as a certified 4wd trainer and ski instructor. Tomas also enjoys caving and cave exploration. Tomas currently resides in Colorado Springs. 

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